Test Drive: Tarte's Quick-Dry Lip Colors Will Blow Your Mind in 10 Seconds or Less

Watch out, Kylie.

Tarte's Quick-Dry Lip Colors on a clock's dial
(Image credit: Design by Betsy Farrell)

I love a lip-print-on-the-coffee-cup moment as much as next woman—but as far as transferring goes, the romance ends there. Lipstick on the teeth...clownish smearing...it's why I don't wear a lip color as often as I'd like to.

Forever in search of a solution to this conundrum of mine, when a fellow beauty editor waxed poetic about Tarte's new Tartiest Quick Dry Lip Paint (available in ten shades ranging from pinky neutrals to moody reds), I thought hey, maybe this is a quick dry claim I can actually get behind. I mean, the brand did conduct a test on their Instagram Stories and the pigment was dry-to-the-touch in as little as 10 SECONDS.

The Test

For my own in-office trial, I reached for peachy-pink "Get It!" and immediately fell in love with the smooth, matte-but-not-too matte, and creamy weightless finish. It spread *evenly*, which is not something that can be said for most liquid lipsticks.

Once my pout was painted, I counted to five, firmly kissed a piece of paper, waited another five seconds and then did so again. (Yes, onlookers were confused/concerned.)

Kiss marks after 5 and 10 seconds

(Image credit: Design by Betsy Farrell)

While there was definitely some transfer after five seconds, when I pressed my lips down after 10, all that was left behind was a whisper-soft trace of a kiss. As far as I was concerned, it was incredibly true to claim. And thus, I've been hooked since.

Though, I will say that because it sticks so well, for so long, you can only pull it off if you have moisturized, flake-free lips to begin with. Overnight lip treatments are non-negotiable!

Tarte Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint, $20; tartecosmetics.com

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Lauren Valenti
Beauty Editor

Lauren is the former beauty editor at Marie Claire. She love to while away the hours at coffee shops, hunt for vintage clothes, and bask in the rough-and-tumble beauty of NYC. She firmly believes that solitude can be a luxury if you’ve got the right soundtrack—that being the Rolling Stones, of course.